Encounters with national security

Associate Professor
Wayne Reynolds is on a quest to unearth the real story of Australia's nuclear ambitions

A leading expert on Australian foreign and defence policies Wayne
Reynolds has spent much of his career engaged in a delicate balancing act
between the interests of historiography and the political, diplomatic and
military imperatives of national security.

He is one of Australia's few historians to have one foot in the
world of the academy, with its commitment to putting knowledge into the public
domain, and the other in the world of defence departments and think-thanks, where
documents lie behind closed doors and any new publication is carefully vetted
by in-house editorial boards for consistency with official 'lines' and agendas.

Notwithstanding these constraints, delving into government
archives to unearth confidential information about the behind-the-scenes
discussions and machinations of Australian national security policy is a major
strength of Wayne's research, and he uses it to challenge our understanding of
the historical imperatives that have moulded contemporary defence strategies.

Wayne has managed to publish on sensitive topics such as Australian
strategy and alliances during the Cold War, terrorism and asymmetrical warfare, the history of
Labor's foreign policy, Australia's geopolitical role in South-East Asia,
especially its relations with Indonesia, and recently Australia's
case for nuclear submarines.

But he is best known for his often controversial work about
what went on behind the scenes during the Cold War years as successive
Australian governments grappled with the thorny question of whether or not to
develop nuclear capabilities.

Although Australia ratified the International Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
in 1973, and is often cited as a model of nuclear restraint, the story is not
an open and shut case. In his book Australia's
Bid for the Atomic Bomb, published in 2000, Wayne argued that from the end
of World War II to the signing of the NPT, Australia vigorously pursued a
program to acquire nuclear weapons and develop uranium enrichment facilities.

"The book challenged the conventional view that Australia
had little interest in nuclear development either for military or non-military
purposes. I tried to show that we very seriously looked at nuclear weapons and
nuclear propulsion for military purposes."

The
furore generated by the book led Reynolds to want to dig deeper still, to bring
to light the full story of Australia's evolving attitudes and policies on
nuclear deterrence, non-proliferation, uranium enrichment, and nuclear power. He
had no idea it would consume the next nine years.

Since
the task involved gaining access to classified documents, Wayne had first to
obtain the consent of then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. The proposal was
approved in 2004, and the project proceeded with the assistance of the Director
of the Historical Documents Project, Dr David Lee, who co-edited the final
volume.

The
process of locating classified documents and having them declassified was an
arduous and at times frustrating business. Some file lists (the master indexes
to documents) couldn't be found, including those relating to the activities of the
mysterious Defence Atomic Developments Sub-Committee. Then, declassifying a document
involved several layers of clearance by DFAT's International Security Division
and editorial board, and, in the case of correspondence with a foreign power,
also by that country's government.

The
fruits of Wayne's labours were finally realised in September 2013 when Australia and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty, 1945-1974 was launched at an official event in Canberra. It is
published under DFAT's Documents on
Australian Policy series.

"Although
it's an official publication, I didn't want it to be hagiography. I wanted to
document Australia's nuclear journey warts and all."

The
book provides final documentary evidence that Australia's decision to sign the
NPT was no fait accompli. Far from
it. In many quarters there were serious reservations about committing to the
NPT, and a strong belief that Australia should develop its own defensive
nuclear capability and be a key player in the nuclear arms race.

After
years of disagreement, debate and vacillation, the position championed by the
Department of External Affairs won out, and the Treaty was signed and ratified.
But that's not the end of the story.

As
'compensation' for agreeing to the Treaty, Australia subsequently fought for
concessions including the purchase of F111 aircraft to deliver nuclear
warheads, the storage of US nuclear weapons on Australian soil, and the ability
to enrich uranium beyond yellowcake for export.

Australia's secret tussles with the US about these concessions
will form the subject of Wayne's next book. Suffice it to say, Australia's
nuclear ambitions were ultimately thwarted by its major ally. Nevertheless,
Australia still has the capabilities to manufacture nuclear weapons (one of 44
countries with such capabilities) and might in future revisit its position on
acquiring them – a question Wayne has researched as part of an international
study conducted by the University of Southampton (UK) and the James Martin
Center for Non-proliferation Studies (US).

With his historically informed expertise on nuclear as well
as conventional weapons and on the regional and global power plays of many
nations, Wayne is frequently called upon to contribute to contemporary debates on
such pressing issues as the current sanctions imposed on Iran, the future of
Australia's maritime defences, and Australia's role in Southeast Asia.

As he says, "A historical perspective is vitally important. These
debates go on. History doesn't stop."

Career Summary

Biography

Associate Professor Wayne Reynolds was born in Sydney and earned his Ph.D at the University of Newcastle. He won the Evatt Foundation International Essay Competition in 1988 and was later commissioned to co-author the Foundation's centennial biography of Evatt - Doc Evatt: Patriot, Internationalist, Fighter and Scholar. He has published numerous articles on Australian foreign and defence policies with an emphasis on developments since 1939. His most recent work is the monograph Australia's Bid for the Atomic Bomb published by Melbourne University Press, 2000.

Research ExpertiseMain work has been on the History of Australian foreign and defence policy. Research projects have included the history of Labour Foreign policy, which resulted in the H.V. Evatt national prize and a co-authored book funded by the Evatt Foundation of Evatt. I have also written on Whitlam's foreign policy. I have worked extensively on Australia and nuclear weapons, publishing artictles and conference papers. This research resulted in a book and a documentary in 2001-2. Recent research has involved work on nuclear non-proliferation and relations with Indonesia. I have also published on Education with particular reference to Asian integration and the role of Higher Education in nuclear research and development. A feature of my research and research supervision is the use of government archives. I created a digital link to documents on the home page of the National Archives which now informs research on-line. My current project is a edited volume of government records on nuclear non-proliferation.

Teaching ExpertiseI have taught widely in History but the focus in recent years has been on Australia and especially foreign relations. I offer a Twentieth Century survey course at 1000 level and courses on Australia and Asia; Australian and the Great Powers; and Australian War and Society at 3000 level. I run an issues in foreign relations course at Honours level and a 6000 distance course in this area. I have supervised to completion 3 PhDs and 1 MA in this field. In the past I coordinated a number of courses for teachers (History Method, Politics, Society and Culture) and for police (Policing practice, strategic studies).

Administrative ExpertiseI have served in most administrative areas relevant to the Discipline (Honours coordination, Postgraduate coordination) and have acted as Deputy Head of School in Liberal Arts and now the expanded School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Ourimbah campus). I have served on Faculty Board, the Faculty Executive, Faculty CT&L, Academic Senate, University Council (and its Resources and Administration Committee, the Finance and Capital Committee Committee, Planning and Performance Committee, and various ad hoc committees).

Qualifications

PhD, University of Newcastle

Bachelor of Arts, University of Newcastle

Keywords

Defence

History

International Affairs

Fields of Research

Code

Description

Percentage

080699

Information Systems not elsewhere classified

20

169999

Studies in Human Society not elsewhere classified

50

210399

Historical Studies not elsewhere classified

30

Professional Experience

UON Appointment

Title

Organisation / Department

Associate Professor

University of NewcastleSchool of Humanities and Social ScienceAustralia

Academic appointment

Dates

Title

Organisation / Department

1/10/2004 - 1/12/2004

Consultant

Nuclear Test Heritage Sites: Monash UniversityAustralia

1/09/2002 - 1/01/2003

Consultant

Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, CanberraAustralia

1/01/1998 -

Lecturer

University of NewcastleSchool of Humanities and Social ScienceAustralia

External Reviewer - Programs

Participant

Year

Title / Rationale

2007

The History of Relations between Australia and the USOrganisation: Iowa City Foreign Relations Council
Description:
Promotion of Australian International Affairs courses.

2007

Australian Regional Policy and the Risk of Asymmetic War.Organisation: Australian Homeland Security Centre
Description:
Invited to speak at the Inugural conference on terrorism sponsored by Centre for Homeland Security and subsequently to submit a paper for publication.

Internment in Australia in World War IIOrganisation: National Archives of Australia
Description:
Invited to review the finished report conducted by the Archives.

2006

Nuclear Weapons and the Suez CrisisOrganisation: Ministere De La Defense
Description:
The French Ministry of Defence will produce a volume of essays in conjuction with Sorbonne University Press on the topic of the Suez Crisis - the 50th Annivesary

2006

Nuclear History ProjectOrganisation: Mountbatten Centre for International Studies
Description:
The project aims to produce a major publication on the Anglo-Australian nuclear tests.

2005

Issues in Contemporary Australian History.Organisation: Kumamato University, Kyushu, Japan
Description:
An all-expenses paid invitation to lecture on Australian History, with particular reference to foreign relations, defence and Japanese relations.

2003

Australia's Secret Bid for the Atomic BombOrganisation: Film Australia
Description:
Film based on my 2000 book 'Australia's Bid for the Atomic Bomb'.

2003

'Britain, Australia, the Commonwealth and the Quest for an Independent Nuclear Deterrent.'Organisation: King's College, London
Description:
Invited by the Menzies Centre, University of London, to co-sponsor conference in London on 20 Ocyober 2003:

Reynolds WM, 'World War to Whitlam: The strategy, alliances and foreign policies of Australia's Cold War', Making Australian History: Perspectives on the Past Since 1788, Thomson, South Melbourne, VIC 493-501 (2008) [B2]

2006

Reynolds WM, '(Mis)adventures in Brinkmanship: Whitlam and the Governor-General', The Great Mistakes of Australian History, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney, New South Wales 203-218 (2006) [B1]

2003

Reynolds WM, 'Whatever Happened to the Fourth British Empire? The role of the Empire in Britain's quest for nuclear weapons', Cold War Britain, 1947-64: New Perspectives, Palgrave, London 127-142 (2003) [B1]

2003

Reynolds WM, 'In the Wake of Canada: Australia's Middle Power Diplomacy and the attempt to join the Atomic Special Relationship, 1943-1957', Parties Long Estranged: Australia and Canada in the Twentieth Century, British Columbia University Press, Vancouver 151-182 (2003) [B1]

Reynolds WM, 'The yellow cake road: Malcolm fraser, the ranger enquiry and australia's role in the US international fuel cycle project', Australian Journal of Politics and History, 57 511-525 (2011) [C1]

Reynolds WM, 'A Scholar of Australian War and Diplomacy: The Views and Methods of Eric Andrews', War, Society and Culture: Approaches and Issues: Selected Papers from the 2001 Symposium organised by the Research Group for War, Society and Culture, Newcastle NSW (2002) [E2]

2001

Reynolds WM, 'What's this about independence? Imperial reorganisation and the Federation of Australia, 1856-1932', Federation: National Unity Past and Present, Australian National University (2001) [E2]

Research Supervision

Current Supervision

The Enduring Commitment: Australian Middle East Strategy, 1885 to 2015History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2013

The Geo-Political Imperative: Continuity in AustraliaÂ¿s Regionalism, Great Power Alliances and Policy Making Assessments, 1859 Â¿ 1941History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2010

The Electricity Commission of New South Wales and its Place in the Rise of Centralised Coordination of Bulk Electricity Generation and Transmission 1888 - 2003History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2008

Military and Civil Defence Planning in South-Eastern Australia, 1932-1945History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

Past Supervision

Year

Research Title / Program / Supervisor Type

2015

Within Reach, Beyond Care: An Examination of Medical Care During the Papuan (Kokoda) Campaign 1942-43 Through the Lens of the Australian Field AmbulanceHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2014

From Southern Africa to the Great Lakes Region: Challenges to Tanzanian Foreign Policy and Conflict Resolution in Sub-Saharan AfricaHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor

2005

Reducing the Margin of Ignorance: The Contribution of Intelligence to Royal Australian Navy Operations 1939-1972History, Faculty of Education and ArtsSole Supervisor

2003

Engaging the Near North: 1931-1941. Australian Regional Initiatives from the Manchurian Crisis to the Onset of the Pacific WarHistory, Faculty of Education and ArtsSole Supervisor

2003

Evatt to Barwick: Australia's Regional Policy and the Problem of 'Great and Powerful Friends'History, Faculty of Education and ArtsSole Supervisor

2003

Desire for Social Justice: Equal Pay, the International Labour Organisation, and Australian Government Policy, 1919-1975History, Faculty of Education and ArtsPrincipal Supervisor